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tupi_ui [2017/01/07 14:10] – maefloresta | tupi_ui [2017/03/11 23:22] (current) – external edit 127.0.0.1 |
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====Main Components==== | ====Main Components==== |
Tupi user interface (UI) was designed as a toolbox full of compartments. Every compartment is focused on an specific task, providing an intuitive and simple set of controls and tools. Now, let's take a ride for the different components of the interface, so you can get acquainted with Tupi's resources. | Tupi user interface (UI) was designed as a toolbox full of compartments. Every compartment is focused on an specific task, providing an intuitive and simple set of controls and tools. Now, let's take a ride for the different components of the interface, so you can get acquainted with Tupi's resources. |
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| **Tip:** In case you don't know some of the technical concepts related to animation, please consult [[animation_glossary|our glossary]]. |
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**Note:** As Tupi is a project in continuous development. it's likely that some options and components of the interface change often. Therefore, much of the information in this manual is subject to correction in the future. | **Note:** As Tupi is a project in continuous development. it's likely that some options and components of the interface change often. Therefore, much of the information in this manual is subject to correction in the future. |
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**1. Top Menu:** It's the conventional menu located at the top of most desktop programs. It is separated by categories''(File, Edit, Insert, Window, and Help modules)''all options of the program. | **1. Top Menu:** It's the conventional menu located at the top of most desktop programs. It contains the general options of the software grouped by categories (File, Edit, Import, Window, Modules and Help). |
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{{ wiki:tupi_top_menu.png }} | {{ wiki:tupi_top_menu.png }} |
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**Fig 6**. Top Side Menu | **Fig 6**. Top Menu |
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**2. Basic Functions Panel:** is composed of buttons associated with the basic functions of the program's files such as: Create new project, open existing project, save, save as, and close the current project. | **2. Top Toolbar:** It's composed by the basic actions related to any Tupi project: Create, Open, Save, Save as, and Close current project. |
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{{ TopPanel_en.png }} | {{ wiki:tupi_top_toolbar.png }} |
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**Fig 7.** Basic Functions Panel | **Fig 7.** Top Toolbar |
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**3. Workspace:** is the main application area, ie the space where you design, build and visualize your animations. The work area is composed of four tabs, each of which contains one of the following modules: | **3. Workspace:** It's the main application area where you design, create and visualize your animation projects. The workspace contains three modules separated by tabs: |
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{{ AppTabs_en.png }} | {{ wiki:tupi_workspace_tabs.png }} |
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**Fig 8.** Workspace Tabs | **Fig 8.** Workspace Tabs |
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* **Animation Module:** through its interface, this module is for build the graphics of each frame that will be contained in your animation. In other words, this module is nothing more than a small vector graphics editor very easy (more to come!). | * **Animation Module:** This module contains the canvas where you illustrate every frame of your animation project. Think of it as an embedded vector graphics editor with onion skin support and other handy tools. |
* **Player Module:** basically, this is a viewer that can be accessed at any time to give you an idea of how your animation is going. | * **Player Module:** This is a video player that allows you to preview your animation project anytime along your creation process. |
* **Help Module:** This is the module in that you are right now! | * **News Module:** This is a complementary module that serves all the latest news about the project. Additionally, it informs you when a new version of Tupi has been released. |
* **News Module:** is a window that access directly our account in [http://twitter.com/maefloresta Twitter]. So you can be aware of the latest news on this project, including new releases, the functionality implemented in the development version, news, etc. | |
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**4. Left Sidebar:** in this component are three buttons associated with some features of the "Illustration Module": | **Tip:** You can switch between workspace tabs using the shortcuts: **Ctrl+1**, **Ctrl+2** and **Ctrl+3**. |
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{{ LeftSideBar_en.png }} | **4. Left Sidebar:** This component contains three expandable panels related to Animation module's features, specifically those related to the illustration process: |
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| {{ wiki:tupi_left_toolbar.png }} |
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**Fig 9**. Left Sidebar | **Fig 9**. Left Sidebar |
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* **Color Palette:** this button displays a panel through which you can choose the color or gradient you want to use the time to paint with any type of brush. | * **Color Palette:** This panel contains the resources related to color management. From this resource, you can set the color of the brush for all the drawing tools, including the color of your scene background. |
* **Pen Properties:** this button displays a panel with the current property boom, for example, the bulk of it, the type of brush and some characteristics of stroke. | * **Pen Properties:** This panel contains all the settings related to the pen brush. Features like size and texture of the brush can be set from here. |
* **Objects Library:** this button displays a panel with the object management interface of the library associated with the current project. If you have an object or picture that you want to store and reuse in different frames of your animation, this component allow you to perform such task | * **Objects Library:** This panel contains the library manager for all the visual/audio objects of your animation projects. From here, you can import external items like images (JPG, PNG, GIF and SVG files) directly to the workspace. |
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**5. Right Sidebar:** similar to the left one, just that contains buttons associated with the animation process: | **5. Right Sidebar:** This component contains two expandable panels related to the animation process, but focused on frames and scenes management: |
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{{ RightSideBar_en.png }} | {{ wiki:tupi_right_toolbar.png }} |
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**Fig 10**. Right Sidebar | **Fig 10**. Right Sidebar |
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* **Scenes Manager:** this button displays a panel that allows the administration of the scenes that make up an animation. Still do not know what a scene? Do not worry, we'll discuss it later. | * **Scenes Manager:** This panel as its name suggest, allows you to handle your project scenes. It supports basic operations like create, remove and rename them. |
* **Exposure Sheet:** this button enable a panel that displays the "Exposure Sheet" of each scene. Although it sounds complex, this "sheet" is in fact, a list of frames which you will illustrate for your animation. Through this component, you can manage layers and frames in your project. Do you know what a layer is? Here is a simple definition: imagine you take a bit of red paint and cover a sheet of paper with the color and let dry, then apply green on the same page, wait a while and then apply blue. Although in the end, your paper will look like the last color you used, you really know that there are other colors below. Think of each of these colors, such as layers, ie, levels of paint define yourself on a frame. Layers are very useful to achieve some kind of effects and techniques you will discover with practice. | * **Exposure Sheet:** This panel contains the set of frames for each scene of your project. It is not the timeline as you possibly know it from other animation software, but it has a similar goal. From this interface you can handle the frames and layers that compose your scenes. |
* **Help Manual:** This button displays the manual you're viewing right now. | |
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**6. Bottom Bar:** on this region you will find a button, the option activated in this panel is ''Timeline''. This tool, is used by many programs and stands as a standard method for keyframing and layering, it allows you to manage layers and frames, as well as a way to develop the pieces of your animation in real time. | **6. Bottom Sidebar:** This component only contains one resource: the Timeline panel. This is a very popular interface piece used by many programs. In fact, it already became a standard tool to manage layers and frames. From this utility you can build the timeline of your animation project adding, editing and removing the frames and layers from all your scenes. |
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{{ TimelineLauncher_en.png }} | {{ wiki:tupi_bottom_toolbar.png }} |
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**Fig 11**. Bottom Sidebar | **Fig 11**. Bottom Sidebar |
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**7. Properties Panel:** This zone is created according to each of the different tools found on the sidebars or at the bottom of the workspace. Although the initial image (Fig. <b># 5</b>), the panel appears on the right side of the interface, depending on where you find the button you choose, you may receive it in the left side or even at the bottom. If you go back to click on the button initially selected, then the properties panel is closed. | **7. Expanded Panel:** By default, when a new project is created in Tupi, the Exposure Sheet panel is expanded by default, but it can be collapsed any time. All the options from the left, bottom and right toolbar works in the same way, showing up on the side every panel belongs to, i.e. the Timeline panel appears in the bottom side of the interface. |
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**8. Status Bar:** located at the bottom of the program, this bar is currently only serving to deploy the coordinates (x, y) where is the mouse cursor as it moves over the "Workspace"in the [[Animation Module|Animation Module]]. | Now, let's study in detail the [[tupi_animation_module|Animation Module]]. |
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{{ BottomStatusBar_en.png }} | |
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**Fig 12**. Status Bar | |
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[[basic_manual#Tupi User Interface|Back to Basic Manual]] | [[basic_manual#Tupi User Interface|Back to Basic Manual]] |
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